Abstract
Objective
To characterize dietary patterns and physical activity in a diverse cohort of Midwestern reproductive-age women and to determine associations between these lifestyle factors, socioeconomic factors, and obesity.
Methods
In this cross-sectional study, 185 women completed validated food frequency and physical activity questionnaires. Dietary patterns were identified through principal component analysis. Sociodemographic characteristics associated with dietary pattern adherence and physical activity participation were identified through linear regression. Associations between lifestyle factors and obesity were assessed through logistic regression.
Results
Two dietary patterns were identified: a “Prudent” pattern characterized by consumption of fruits, vegetables, olive oil, and nuts and a “Western” pattern including meat, refined carbohydrates, and high-calorie drinks. African-American women and women without a college degree were more likely to adhere to the Western dietary pattern than other women. Women in areas with higher socioeconomic deprivation had lower levels of physical activity, especially leisure-time exercise. Women who completed college participated in more leisure-time exercise and had less physically demanding occupations. Obesity was associated with increasing adherence to the Western dietary pattern in a dose-dependent fashion (aOR range 2.68–4.33, 95% CI range 0.69–16.61) but was not associated with adherence to the Prudent pattern (aOR range 0.46–1.06, 95% CI range 0.13–3.41). Increased physical activity was associated with reduced odds of obesity (aOR range 0.28–0.30, 95% CI range 0.10–0.93).
Conclusions for Practice
This study highlights dietary and physical activity patterns associated with obesity in reproductive-age women. Lifestyle interventions focused on minimizing consumption of the Western diet and increasing physical activity may provide an opportunity to reduce obesity among reproductive-age women.
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Acknowledgement
The authors would like to thank Deborah Frank for her editorial assistance
Funding
Research reported in this publication was supported by the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences of the National Institutes of Health under Award Numbers and KL2 TR000450 and TL1TR002344. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.
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BSB, AEM, JEC, and ESJ designed and conducted research. BSB, AEM, and ESJ analyzed data and wrote the paper. ESJ has primary responsibility for the final content. JEC provided essential material. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.
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Bedrick, B.S., Eskew, A.M., Chavarro, J.E. et al. Dietary Patterns, Physical Activity, and Socioeconomic Associations in a Midwestern Cohort of Healthy Reproductive-Age Women. Matern Child Health J 24, 1299–1307 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10995-020-02987-3
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10995-020-02987-3